The question of who “won” in Game of Thrones is a complicated one. The most obvious answer is Brandon “Bran” Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright). The third son of honorable Eddard “Ned” Stark (Sean Bean), Bran was named King of the Seven Kingdoms by the council held in the wake of Daenerys Targaryen’s (Emilia Clarke) death. If the dragon Drogon had not destroyed the Iron Throne, Brand would sit upon it. The fight to rule the Seven Kingdoms is the “Game” referred to in the series’ title but calling Bran the show’s winner feels overly simplistic. The boy went through so much tragedy and brutality over the show’s eight seasons, eventually seeming to lose much of his humanity after becoming the Three-Eyed Raven, that his new position seems like little consolation. The same can be said for many of the other characters who had seemingly optimistic endings.
Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) may have been named Bran’s Hand of the King, but he also has to deal with the guilt of inadvertently facilitating Daenerys’ burning of King’s Landing and the loss of his siblings Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Cersei (Lena Headey) in addition to the complex feelings he already had for killing his father, Tywin (Charles Dance) and lover Shae (Sibel Kekilli). Bran’s sister Sansa (Sophie Turner) was named Queen in the North and secured independence for her people, but she also has to deal with the loss of family members and suffered years of horrific abuse at the hands of Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) and Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). But, one character who came out ahead at the end of the series without enduring nearly as much hardship was Bronn (Jerome Flynn). The sardonic warrior’s humorous personality and well-developed relationships made him a fan-favorite character, but he was also cunning enough to achieve several major victories without ever sacrificing or losing much, making him the game’s real winner.
As in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels Bronn was introduced to Game of Thrones as a sellsword, a mercenary that was part of the group Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) hired to apprehend Tyrion, who she believed had ordered the attempted assassination of Bran, her son. However, during the group’s travels to the Eyrie, he and Tyrion took a liking to one another. When in the captivity of Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie), Catelyn’s sister, Tyrion demanded a trial by combat and Bronn surprised the crowd by volunteering to fight as his champion. He killed Lysa’s champion, earning Tyrion’s freedom and the pair left the Eyrie, with Bronn agreeing to continue serving as his operative only so long as Tyrion paid him more than anyone else. After Tyrion joined the makeshift army he constructed out of the hill tribes with his father’s forces Bronn fought alongside both against Robb Stark’s (Richard Madden) army during the battle on the Green Fork. After the Lannister victory, Tywin tells Tyrion to serve as Hand of the King to his nephew, Joffrey, in his stead.
Ser Bronn of the Blackwater
When the pair arrive in King’s Landing Bronn continues to serve as Tyrion’s personal bodyguard and enforcer, with Tyrion also naming him commander of the City Watch. As one of the most skilled warriors in King’s Landing at the time, Bronn proved instrumental in the defense of the city against Stannis Baratheon’s (Stephen Dillane) invasion during the Battle of the Blackwater, especially once Sandor Clegane/The Hound (Rory McCann) left the battle. At Tyrion’s direction, he fired the flaming arrow that ignited the wildfire which crippled Stannis’ naval fleet. For his service Joffrey knighted him, and he took on the name “Ser Bronn of the Blackwater”, although Tywin eventually removed him from the City Watch position.
Although his new status led him to charge Tyrion more for his services the pair continued to develop a strong friendship. When Tyrion is forced to send Shae away from the city for her protection Bronn attempts to comfort Tyrion is his own way, telling him to, “go drink until it feels like you’ve done the right thing.” When Jaime returned to King’s Landing after his sword hand was cut off Tyrion assigned Bronn to teach his brother to fight with the other hand. However, Season 4 saw Bronn prove that he was still a mercenary at heart. When Joffrey was assassinated Cersei and Tywin assumed Tyrion was responsible, and he was arrested. He was to receive another trial by combat but Cersei bribed Bronn against serving as his champion this time by setting him up with an arranged marriage that would make him a minor nobleman.
Bronn did visit Tyrion in his cell and gave him a chance to make him a better offer. Tyrion promised more wealth and said that he would attempt to use his marriage to Sansa to give Bronn a portion of the North’s land, but Bronn doubted he would really be able to deliver. He also noted that he feared fighting Cersei’s champion, Gregor Clegane/The Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) would cost him his life, as it did Tyrion’s eventual champion Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal). He noted that despite their friendship Tyrion had never risked his life for him. Tyrion accepted his reasons without a grudge and the men shook hands, with Bronn remarking that he hoped Tyrion would somehow emerge victorious.
Trading Cersei for Jaime Lannister
After Tyrion escaped to Essos, Bronn began working directly for Jaime. When Jaime recruited him to help bring his daughter, Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free), back from Dorne he informed Bronn that Cersei had rescinded his planned marriage, but promised him a better wife and castle in exchange for his help. After Myrcella’s death, the pair continued to fight together, leading the Lannister forces during the last days of the War of the Five Kings. During his time in Jaime’s service, Bronn continued to prove the extent of loyalty that his employer’s money earned from him.
In Dorne, he was almost killed by poisoning by the Sand Snakes and his bravery was on full display when Daenerys attacked Lannister forces with Drogon. Bronn engaged the Targaryen and her dragon directly, even managing to wound Drogon with a bolt from a mechanical scorpion. After the dragon went down Jaime charged at Daenerys, planning to kill her before she could cause any more death, just as he had done with her father, the Mad King Aerys. But before he could reach her Drogon breathed fire at him. Bronn risked his life by tackling Jaime off his horse out of the path of the flames.
After Jaime left her to go fight in the war against the White Walkers, Cersei ordered Bronn to assassinate both her brothers in exchange for being named lord of Riverrun and an additional sum of gold. Bronn managed to arrive in Winterfell only after the Long Night, successfully avoiding any of the danger posed by the Whites. He confronted Tyrion and Jaime and informed them of Cersei’s orders. Tyrion offered to make Bronn lord of Highgarden after Daenerys took control of the Seven Kingdoms instead. When Jaime stated that Highgarden would never belong to a cutthroat and that Bronn wouldn’t kill them anyway, Bronn fired a crossbow bolt near his head as a warning shot and reminded him that all the Great Houses had been started by cutthroats. Bronn agreed to Tyrion’s deal and departed.
Bronn’s Ends the Series as the Head of a High House
Bronn was one of few characters who was not significantly affected by either the Long Night or Daenerys’ assault on King’s Landing, though he was likely somewhat upset by Jaime’s death, even if he probably wouldn’t admit it. At the end of the series, he emerged as one of the most successful and least damaged players left standing. The final scenes revealed that he was made both Lord of Highgarden and Master of Coin for Bran’s Small Council, giving him power over the money he valued more than anything.
Despite his harsher decisions, like not fighting The Mountain for Tyrion, his story was one of the most plainly enjoyable in the series as it was nice to see a lowborn character rise to power and triumph over the more privileged figures without having to go through anything too horrible along the way. His honorable qualities, limited as they may have been, and more modest aspirations also made him more likable than greedier manipulators like Petyr Baelish/Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen), whose greater ambitions and more ruthless methods led viewers to cheer for his downfall. In many ways, Bronn became the series’ biggest winner.
